Jesse Batson

You are a senior and you’re going to graduate in less than a year. What are your options? There are many options and graduate school is one of them.

On Oct. 21, over a dozen graduate schools were present in the Peterson Recital Hall to give out information to soon-to-be SDSU graduates.

David Hildebrand, graduate school vice president of research, was at the graduate fair to answer students’ questions.

Senior Brian Carter, chemistry major, was one of the many students who talked to prospective graduate schools. Since Carter was looking for physician and pharmacy student graduate programs, the graduate fair was an easy way to get information.

“It’s more consolidated to find stuff,” Carter said. “With a Web site you have to go out and search.”

Students who want to pursue a graduate degree usually do it at another university, Hildebrand said.

“That’s changing a little bit, but ten years ago, you almost always went to a different university for your graduate work than your undergraduate,” Hildebrand said.

Stacie Peitz, graduate programs coordinator for basic biomedical science at USD, provided her explanation for this.

“It looks better when they go try to get a job or a post-doctorate position or anything after graduate school. I think it looks better on a resume,” Peitz said.

Senior Ryan Carda isn’t following that tradition.

“Actually, I’m going to do my master’s here and I want to go to Iowa for my Ph.D. when I’m done with that.”

The reason Carda will be attending SDSU is because he will be working his way through graduate school with an internship.

Another aspect of the graduate fair, Hildebrand said, is that it provides information about local graduate schools, for those who want to stay close to home.

Mindy Sell, second year graduate student, is planning to go to school in the Minneapolis area so the graduate fair provided her with a start on where to look for information.

“I plan on living in the metro area, so I found out what all was in the metro area, what was offered,” Sell said.

Sell received her undergraduate degree from Southwest State and is currently seeking a master’s degree in communication studies, but her future plan is to go to law school. After seeing a sign posted on the wall near her office, Sell decided to attend the graduate fair.

What was surprising to Sell was that she went home with more options than she originally started with.

“Actually, I came to visit the (University of Minnesota), but they weren’t here,” Sell said.

Instead of receiving information about the University of Minnesota, Sell found that she was impressed with a smaller school.

“I got a lot of good information, especially from St. Thomas, and I chatted with them and set up some possible visits to go up and visit the campus.”

#1.885735:3490910106.jpg:gradfair.jpg:Andy Van Zee and Jessie Gleckler learn how to jitterbug at a special dance lesson held Oct. 28.:Jerry Smith